The Secret Keepers Of The Old Grocery Depot by Amanda Cox

Nov4

Delightful

The Secret Keepers Of The Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox is the most delightful Christian dual timeline novel that filled my soul with love.

The novel is set in present day and from 1965 working forwards. It is a story of family and love and life.

A character has been grieving her whole life for a boy who went to Vietnam and never returned. Life still kept turning and she had to learn to live again in spite of her grief. Grief never leaves us. We just need to find our way through it.

We witness the horrors of war in the lives of those who return. “How could they find normal after that? Love when they’d been baptized in hate.” Some lives buckle with PTSD and they escape through alcohol and drugs.

There is the theme of guilt. A character is drowning in it, carrying burdens that were never meant for her. “I’d become so tainted by darkness that I couldn’t feel the warmth of the sun anymore.”  It is time to let go and let God.

Sometimes we revisit the past and that is fine but we must not dwell in it. “What-ifs won’t get us anywhere… We can’t change the past. But we can choose a new tomorrow.”

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All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese

Nov4

Heart Warming

All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese is the most beautiful contemporary Christian novel that will leave you smiling as you celebrate the goodness of God.

The story is about the riches of life. These riches are never found in possessions or bank accounts. These riches are found in people. We see characters’ lives opening up as they realise that their true worth is found within. They are more than the clothes they wear. They are more than all their mistakes. They are all priceless sons and daughters of the King.

The main setting is in a house for older teens who have left the foster system. They are all trying to make a life, whilst carrying their baggage from the past. They “were more than the scars they wore from their pasts.”

Everyone is unique and everyone has individual talents. We need to celebrate our uniqueness and stop trying to mold ourselves into the shape of another. “Stop trying to hide what God has created to be seen.” Celebrate the gift you have been given.

 None of us know what tomorrow brings. We need to trust God and “don’t borrow worry.”

Lives are not always able to be controlled by us. Things will always happen that are out of our control. In the midst of the storm, rest in the arms of the Father. Trust His timing. “God continued to prove His timing was right on schedule. Even when that schedule wasn’t made by me.”

A character has known God but drifted away. “I spoke to the God I’d believed in as a girl.” All of heaven rejoices when the prodigal returns home.

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Outlaws & Outcasts by Luke Eden

Nov2

Overcoming Adversity

Outlaws And Outcasts: The Team No One Loved by Luke Eden is a thrilling contemporary novel that will grip you from the start. It is the second book in The Speedway Series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This is a novel of two parts. The first half has the element of a godfather-type crime novel interwoven with speedway, and the second is pure speedway.

I absolutely loved this book on so many levels – I enjoyed the storyline which was well thought out and executed.

I loved the whole speedway storyline – having been a fan for 49 years, I recognized some of the scenes from speedway at the highest level as well as league matches. I loved the tongue-in-cheek reference to the four starting line girls – as a speedway fan, all I can say is, thank goodness they have been scrapped now.

And finally, I loved the fictional Kidderminster speedway team and the many locations around the Wyre Forest were so familiar to me as I have lived in the area for 36 years! I found myself exclaiming out loud at the many real-life locations! For anyone who lives in the area, this is such a fabulous book, not many novels are set quite so close to home. It was a joy to read.

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Dead Heat by Luke Eden

Nov2

Exciting & Gripping

Dead Heat by Luke Eden is an exciting contemporary murder suspense that gripped me from the start. I read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. It is the first book in The Speedway Series which promises to be fabulous.

Dead Heat is a wonderful novel for the speedway fan (I have supported Coventry for 49 years) but even if you do not watch speedway, you will enjoy the book. However, for the speedway fan, we meet many familiar names and teams from the 2016 season – I actually remember seeing the Chris Harris crash at Poole.

Putting the speedway setting aside, Dead Heat is a fast-paced thriller. As the suspense rose, so did my heartrate and my hands grew clammy. I truly ‘lived’ the novel.

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